Nassib Lahoud Dies after Long Battle with Illness

The head of the Democratic Renewal Movement, former MP Nassib Lahoud, passed away at dawn Thursday after a long battle with illness. He was 68.

Lahoud, who was a lawmaker between 1991 and 2005, died at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Ashrafiyeh.

The presidential contender has held various political posts, including ambassador to Washington and minister of state.

In 2001, he contributed to the establishment of the Qornet Shahwan coalition of center-right Christian politicians. The same year, he founded along with hundreds of Lebanese intellectuals the Democratic Renewal Movement.

He lost in the 2005 parliamentary elections in his Metn district at the head of the opposition list and withdrew from the race in 2009.

Lahoud had been a prominent figure in the March 14-led coalition that was established after ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination and the ensuing withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

He had limited political functions lately due to his illness but U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman held talks with him during his visit to Beirut in December.

The Democratic Renewal Movement met for the first time under Lahoud in August last year after he returned to Lebanon from medical treatment in France. He stressed that his group was independent and was no longer part of any political coalition.

Lahoud is survived by his wife Abla Festoq and their two children Salim and Joumana.

The funeral procession will be held at the St. George Cathedral in downtown Beirut on Saturday. The family will accept condolences on February 5 and 6 in his residence at his hometown of Baabdat.

There will also be condolences on February 7 and 8 at his home in Ashrafiyeh.

What a loss....He was one of the few decent and honest politicians in Lebanon.
May he rest in peace...
I remember very well when Israel attacked Lebanon in 1996, and many flew from the south of Lebanon to Achrafieh. Mr. Lahoud and his wife were the first to jump and help the refugees who were staying at the public schools in Achrafieh...
Pr. Nicolas Zouain.

He was a very Good Man, a very Good and True Lebanese. What a great loss. May his soul rest in Peace and in Paradise.He will remain in my memory as a very dear friend. Condolences to Abla,Salim & Joumana , and to Samir and Laura.

Michel Aoun ... the man who sold Lebanon to the Syrian by opening the door to the Syrian Air force and then running away like a wet pussy when they invaded after promising his people and his men that he will die fighting, leaving his soldiers to die under Syrian tanks. To rub salt into the wound he stole millions of his soldiers pay and put them is European banks under his and his wife's name.

He was a good man who got stiffed good by his closest allies, the phonies, who now shed alligator tears on him and who he disowned. May his soul rest in peace. But of course this comment will most probably not get published by the alligators of Naharnet. If by chance it does get published, though, it will get the thumbs down by the baby alligators.

My sincere condolences to his widow and his children. May he rest in peace. We have indeed lost an honest and respected statesman. There aren;t too many of them defending this tiny land. It is also ironic that our actual politicians realized his great values after his death.As the french proverb says: Les bons s'en vont et les mauvais restent, namely Aoun, Bassil, Nasrallah, Iam wahab and the rest of this disfunctionnal clique.
What are the chances that our crooks of politicians will use his legacy to redress Lebanon and stop their specialty which is theft and corruption.. hummm I am dreaming huh guys... wow